Exploring nursing staff views of responsive behaviours of people with dementia in long-stay facilities

Introduction: Caring for people with dementia and responsive behaviours can challenge nurses, and little is known of their experiences. Aims: To explore nurses’ views of supporting people with dementia and responsive behaviours in long- stay facilities. Methods: A qualitative descriptive study utilizing in- depth audio- recorded interviews of nine nurses, recruited from private and public care facilities. Qualitative content analyses conducted involving iterative comparisons of transcripts, summaries and memos, where coding, key quotes and tables were developed to determine themes. Results: Four themes emerged: recognizing and understanding responsive behaviour, resources and interventions to support people with dementia and responsive behav- iour, the impact of education on nursing practice and the care environment. Discussion: Availability of staff, adequate time and financial restraints hinder nurses’ ability to provide care. Access to ongoing education and being able to provide one- to- one care was valued as dementia- specific education changed nursing practice.